There's Xbox Live Inside Every Copy Of Windows 8

Confirmed today during Microsoft's 2011 Build developer conference in Anaheim, California, Windows 8 will have the Xbox Live service built right in. What does it all mean?

Aside from further justifying the upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard update, the integration of Xbox Live into Windows 8 means more to Microsoft than it does to us end users. By working hooks for the service directly into the next generation PC operating system, MS will no longer have to worry about getting gamers to download Games for Windows Live, a service that never really caught on in the first place.

Xbox Live's Major Nelson says that developers are being shown tools that make it easier to integrate Xbox Live features into PC games during the show, which I'd imagine are the same tools used for Games for Windows Live, only rebranded.

Perhaps I'm being too sceptical. The Major says they there are many more details to share about what Xbox Live on Windows will be capable of. Let's remain hopeful until then. That way we'll have more energy for giggling and pointing.

Agreed, Games for Windows Live had great potential to be something good. If it had all of the xbox live options like achievements for games that support them and access to your friends list to message your friends and create parties it would have been useful.

I don't see why this couldn't be integrated into any game you played as well, it wouldn't matter if you bought it off Microsoft or a box in a store if the xbox live features simply ran as a service in the background.

Of course that is only what it could be, we will have to wait and see what it actually is.

Since I find the UI of OS X to be absolutely rubbish, tacky, and generally inefficient, yeah, that's not a very good encouragement to buy one. Not to mention all the control they take away from the user.

Dear god... the day i'm forced into GFWL for playing online is the day I won't be "able" to play online. In my experience, it takes me nearly an hour to actually find a bloody game on live/GFWL let alone play it. Why can't they just intergrate steam or something... Valve needs an OS.

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